KINGSTON, Jamaica, Oct 31, CMC – Some 200 Cuban health professionals are continuing to serve in Jamaica’s public healthcare system under individual employment contracts, following the termination of the previous government-to-government arrangement, Health and Wellness Minister Dr Christopher Tufton has said.
The professionals are distributed across the country’s Regional Health Authorities (RHAs) and the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI), with their employment governed by Jamaican law.
Tufton was speaking during debate on a parliamentary motion on the economic and humanitarian situation in Cuba, which was approved by the House of Representatives on October 27.
He said the new arrangement allows Cuban doctors, nurses and other specialists to continue contributing to Jamaica’s healthcare system while ensuring that their employment conditions are consistent with local laws and international labour conventions.
“The House will recall that the last bilateral arrangements expired in February 2023. As the international environment evolved, the Government sought to renew our cooperation on terms consistent with Jamaican law and international labour conventions, in particular, that professionals be paid directly and hold their own travel documents,” he said.
Tufton said that when agreement could not be reached on those terms, the Jamaican government ended the government-to-government arrangements in March while expressing its desire to retain the Cuban professionals through individual employment contracts.
He told legislators that of the 278 Cuban professionals working in Jamaica in March, 43 opted to remain under the new arrangement.
Of those who returned to Cuba, another 57 doctors, nurses and other professionals have since returned to Jamaica under the same contractual terms.
Tufton said the government remains open to other Cuban professionals who wish to return and contribute to the country’s healthcare services.
He acknowledged that although the arrangements governing the employment of Cuban health professionals had changed, Jamaica remained committed to maintaining its relationship with Cuba.
“When we were in distress as a people, in times of shortage, in the aftermath of disasters, in the dark days of the pandemic, Cuba rose to the occasion. Through the deployment of its healthcare professionals, Cuba stood with Jamaica when we needed it most,” he said.
Tufton also reiterated Jamaica’s support for humanitarian assistance to Cuba, citing the hardships affecting ordinary families, including access to medicines, medical supplies, food and energy.
“Today, while we adjust our relationships in keeping with our laws, Jamaica also supports humanitarian assistance to the Cuban people. Their suffering has been long and painful and it weighs heavily on ordinary families, on their access to medicines, medical supplies, food and energy. Jamaica will continue to support every effort to ease that hardship,” he said.
He said the government remained committed to preserving relations between the two countries through friendship and mutual respect.
CMC/ed/2026